Virtual Stockjudging - Duffryn Herd

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 2:33 am

Hi Clive,

Is Rosehip too fat?? I love mine looking like her, but at the moment they're a tad more like Beaver.

It's interesting Beaver's boy, because he looks every bit as beefy as the dangus fellow...

If I can unfreeze myself (cold here 13C now but feels like 10C) and get organised I will have to take some photos and get some feedback on mine.

Thanks
:D
Vicki

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 7:55 am

Hi Vicki, yes, personally I would call that carrying a bit too much weight. I try and keep all breeding cows just about flat on the back, nothing more, and don't mind the spine showing which has never been a problem. They may not look as good to some. I have had problems with overweight cows, even had to dispatch two of them. She's and all the others coming off that field today.

You're quite right, the dexter bull-that-was calf is the only one I've had that has almost the same muscle tone along the back as the Dangus, which he had right from birth. He doesn't quite have the back end, but that too is not bad at all. He actually has more depth of body than most of my 30 Dangus calves. But, even though both mom and dad are quiet, he is far too lively, hence castration. Being linebred I would have expected him to pick up the quietness, but not so.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1277967466

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:41 pm

Clive will you try again with the bull over his mother??

I really will get photos when I can and get opinions, it's a great way to get others two cents.
:D
Vicki

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:53 am

Like your pics Clive.

I tend to think that at her age Rosehip is entitled to put on a little weight and kick back, it isn't as if she is likely to get calving problems and I think it is nice that these Dexters will still do well into the teens.

A pity about your vocal steer. I take it you mean vocal and throwing himself about? We have a young heifer who as soon as she is restrained bawls her head off and throws herself around. She needed extra de horning but now that has healed we intend halter training her just so she learns that its not on before she is fully grown as - like you we don't like this behaviour.

Both your Dangus are excellent very beefy shaped types. However if you are putting the Angus on the beefiest Dexters each time how can you then tell how much beefy shape you get from the Angus and how much from the Dexter mother - I have a young, early weaned Woodmagic Dexter that is pretty much the same shape.

Stephanie

Edited By Saffy on 1278050063

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 7:56 am

Hi Stephanie

Yes, the little bull threw himself about as well as bawl his head off so now way I could keep him.

With the chunky heifer, her shape has come from both the Angus bull and her Dexter dam who is like a housebrick with a leg at each corner, and a wide head. I would say the heifer's frame is from the cow, and her muscling from the Angus simply because I know what each cow has produced many times before. Interestingly, this heifer was born tiny as were most of the calves from my chunkier cows. The calves from more dairy types were all much larger. To me, the slightly dairy types calve more easily. It's as if they know what they are capable of and adjust the calf size to suit! I had a whole shed of chunky cows ready to calve and was expecting to use the jack and be on hand all the time, but they all just slipped out small.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1278053852

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:07 pm

Minnie wrote:Clive will you try again with the bull over his mother??

Possibly Vicki, haven't decided, but not till next year. Also going to try the dexter bull on a few Dangus heifers. It's been done before with good results I heard.

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:23 pm

Amazing how different Dangus look in terms of head structure, or am I just imginging it?

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:40 pm

The steer at the bottom is the one with quite a lot of Woodmagic in him. His head is quite different from all the others. He is one of the best or maybe the best cross as far as I can tell so far.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1278074499

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 2:37 pm

Ben, in some upgraded lines, (ie same as UK appendix), the almond eye socket of the Angus can be seen for several generations, rather than the round eye socket of the Dexter.
Same as the concave facial profile in some Jersey based grade stock can also persist.
Margaret

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:07 pm

This is a full Woodmagic steer calf. He hasn't had the best of starts as he was a month premature and was also weaned a bit early and all of a sudden, part of the reason he still has scruffy winter coat left I expect. He has a similar shape to your Dangus calves that are single suckling Clive, his Mum was very chunky like him . He is nearly 10 months old.

Sorry the pics aren't the best but I wanted a side and back view and he kept following me around, this was the best I could do!

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:22 pm

Thanks Margret, it is the almond eyes rather than the actual head shape that make the look differnet

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:11 pm

Here's a pure Dexter from pedigree dam and sire. A photo from a year ago when I'd only just got my AA bull, so no mistakes. His dam, who is full pedigree registered, is also an AA lookalike. Looking at her pedigree, an AA got in the field about 20 years ago because everything suddenly went black and polled!

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 12:26 am

Funny that, Clive. Just another argument for DNA PV.
Margaret.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 4:24 pm

wagra dexters wrote:Funny that, Clive. Just another argument for DNA PV.
Margaret.

Absolutely Margaret. You'd have to PV into the past with many though!

Edited By Broomcroft on 1278170759

112-1280956921 · Post by **112-1280956921** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:40 pm

Hello,
we are Nico & Annemiek from Holland.
We like to hear from you how you think about our stock-bull "Herikehoeve Little Boy".

here he is 2 years old. On the following photo's he is 3 years and a few months:

On the last photo he takes a step so you can see (a bit) how he walks. He puts his feet in a straight line.

We placed more photo's than asked, I hope that is not a problem?

greets from Holland
Nico and Annemiek